Writing tablet



Feb. 3, 1931 4 J RALPH 1,791,325

WRITING TABLET Filed May 12; 1928 7 INVENTOR WITNESSES 1 fa/m j jZcJ J/z g BY W9 VI'Y/ ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 3, 1931 quire STATES? PArsr ries JOHN J. RALPH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR T HENRY W. RALPH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS I WRITING TABLET Application filed May 12, 1928. Serial No. 277,256.

This invention relates to writing tablets of the continuous feed type where a strip of paper from a roll is trained over the upper wall of a supporting member and thence downwardly tl'irough a slot adjacent the end edge of the wall, said end edge being adapted to serve as a guide for tearing off a portion of the strip which has been used.

The invention more particularly comprehends ameans for disposing the end of the strip in a position to facilitate its grasping for pulling and feeding the strip over the Wall. 1 As a further feature, the invention aims to provide a pair of spring arms constituting a part of the means for disposing the end of the strip in the position mentioned, which spring arms are so formed as to constitute means to coact with the side edges of the paper roll to guide and prevent lateral movement of the same.

The invention more specifically contemplates in a continuous feed writing tablet of the character set forth, guiding and tensioning means for the strip which is reversible in the support to allow for the feed of the strip in either direction relative to the support.

Other objects of the invention reside in the comparative simplicity of construction and mode of operation of the device, the economy with which it may be produced and the general efiiciency derived therefrom.

With the above recited and other objects in view, reference is had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which 'there'isexhibited one example or embodiment of the invention, while the claims define the actual scope of the same.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a writing tablet constructed in accordance with the in vention.

Figure 2 is a'longitudinal sectional view therethrough taken approximately on the line 22 of Figure 1 illustrating the guiding and tensioning means for the strip arranged for feeding of said strip in one direction.

Figure 3 is a similar view illustrating the guiding and feeding means arranged for feeding the strip in the opposite direction.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, the tablet includes a supporting member 10 preferably constructed of sheet metal cut, bent and formed to provide an upper inclined wall 11 and vertically depending side walls 12 having laterally pro- ;ecting flanges 13 at the lower edges. A strip of writing paper 14 carried in a roll is mounted on a core 15 for rotation on a transverse shaft 16 supported by the opposite side walls 12. The'upper wallll is formed adjacent its opposite ends with transverse slots 17 and 18, through which the strip of writing paper 14: is adapted to be trained to dispose a length 14a thereof directly on the upper surface of the wall 11 between the slots 17 and 18. The free end 145 of the paper is trained under the upper wall 11 between one of the transverse slots and the end edge 19 or 20 of the upper. wall 11. It is, of course. understood that the end edges 19 and 20 will act as a tearing guide for tearing off a length of the paper after the same has been written upon and drawn through the support beyond one of the edges.

In order to provide means for holding the free end 14?) of the paper strip against movement and at the same time to dispose said end in a spaced relation to the under surface of the wall '11 to facilitate its grasping for pulling the strip over the support, a transverse rod 21 is employed which is forced against the strip adjacent its free end 146. The rod 21 also cooperates with a transverse offset or deformation which defines a depression 22 in the under surface of the portion of the wall. 11 which lies between each slot 17 and 18 and each end edge 19 and 20. In practice, this depression 22 may be formed by upwardly or downwardly offsetting the material from which the wall 11 is formed, there by providing a strengthening rib or head 23 on one of the surfaces of the wall which allows for the use of a lighter gauge of stock. It is obvious by kinking or offsetting the paper strip adjacent the end edge that the.

end edge Mb will be disposed at an angle, as

clearly illustrated in the drawing. 7

flhe transverse rod 21 will preferably constitute the connecting bight portion of a pair of spring arms 24 which extend longitudinally of the supporting member 10 within the side walls 12. The medial portion of each arm is provided with a looped offset 25 which is designed to detachably engage over a tongue 26 preferably cut and bent inwardly from the side wall 12 of the supporting member. The opposite ends of the arms are joined by a transverse connecting element or bight 27'upon which a'rotary sleeve or roller 28 is mounted to bear against the under surface of the upper wall to constitute a guide roller for the paper strip. In the first arrangement, illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the strip is initially trained around the roller 28 which impinges the strip against the under side of that portion'ofthe wall 11 which lies betwcenthe slot 17 and the upper end edge 19 and the strip is thus trained through slot 17. Between the centrally offset looped portion 25 and the opposite ends of the arms 24, the same are provided with arcuate or bowed portions 29 and 30 which constitute respectively in the reversed arrangement of the arms means lying on opposite sides of the paper roll for guiding the same, preventing. lateral movement thereof and for exerting a sufficient friction or tension on the roll to prevent accidental turning movement thereof. In the arrangement illustrated in Figure 2, the strip 14 after being trained through the slot 1'7 adjacent the uppermost edge'of the inclined upper wall 11, is thence trained over, the upper surface of the wall 11, downwardly through the slot 18, then between the transverse deformed portion 22 and the transverse rod or bight portion 21. In the arrangement illustrated in Figure 8 where the arms are reversed, the strip 14 is trained from the paper roll around the guide roller 2-8, thence through the slot 18 upwardly over the. upper surface of the intermediate portion of the wall 11, thence through the slot 1'? and bctween the transverse depression 22 and the transverse rod or bight portion 21. It is ol vious that the angular disposition of the terminal 14?) of the paper strip spaces said terminal in a manner which facilitates its grasping for pulling the strip through the support. After the desired length has been pulled beyond the end edge 19 or 20, said edge is used as a guide for tearing off such length. After the length has been torn away, the remaining edge lying between the depression 22 and'the end edge will be automatically moved to an angular position for the purpose specified.

What is claimed is:

1. In a writing tablet of the character set forth which includes a backing member having a transverse slot adjacent an end edge thereof through which a strip of writing paper from a roll is adapted to be trained to dispose a length over the upper surface of the member and the terminal extending through the slot under the member; said end edge of the member being adapted for use as a tearing guide; resilient coacting means for engaging and deflecting the remaining edge of the strip, after each tearing operation, to space the same from the tearing guide edge of the back member.

2. In a writing tablet of the character set forth which includes a backing member having a transverse slot adjacent an end edge thereof through which a strip of writing paper from a roll is trained to dispose a length over the upper surface of the member and the terminal extending through the slot under the member; means for impinging the strip against the under side of the backing member between theslot and the end edge of the backing member to dispose the free end of the strip at an angle thereto comprising a transverse depressed portion of the under side of the backing member and an element resiliently coacting with the strip for forcing the same into the depressed portion.

3. In a writing tablet, the combination of a support including an upper wall provided with transverse slots adjacent the opposite ends thereof, through which slots a strip of paper is adapted to be trained from a roll supported under the wall of the support, to dispose a length of the paper on the upper surface of the wall between the slots, the free end of the paper strip lying under the wall between the slots and the end edge of the wall which is used as a tearing guide, with means respectively carried resiliently by the support and formed on the under side of the same between the slot and the free end edge thereof, adapted to clampingly engage the strip adjacent its free edge for deflecting said strip edge away from the edge of the support.

4. In a writing tablet of the character set forth including a backing member and a paper strip adapted to be fedthereover and trained through a slot to lie under an end edge of the backing member which is adapted for use as a tearing guide; coacting means respectively formed on the backing member and carried thereby for resiliently gripping the paper in such a manner as to dispose the free edge of the strip in spaced relation to the end edgeof the backing member.

5. In a writing tablet including a backing member having transverse slots adjacent its opposite end edges through which a strip of writing paper from a roll is trained to dispose a length of the paper over the upper surface of the member between the slots, means for supporting the paper roll under the backing member for turning movement and a common means for resiliently engaging and impinging the strip under the backing member at points between the slots and the end edge of the backing member whereby to exert a tension on the strip at longitudinally spaced points for holding the same in fiat contact with the backing member.

6. In a writing tablet including a backing member having transverse slots adjacent its opposite end edges through which a strip of writing paper from a roll is trained to dispose a length of the paper over the upper surface of the member between the slots, means for supporting the paper roll under the backing member for turning movement and a common means for engaging and impinging the free end of the strip under the backing member beyond the'slot and for guiding and tensioning the paper roll in its movements, said means comprising a pair of arms joined by a transverse connecting bight which engages and impinges the strip under the backing member, the arms having arcuate portions lying alongside. of and frictionally engaging the sides of the paper roll throughout the maj or portion of its diameter.

7. In a writing tablet including a backing member having transverse slots adjacent its opposite end edges through which a strip of writing paper from a roll is trained to dispose a length of the paper over the upper surface of the member between the slots, means for supporting the paper roll under the backing member for turning movement and a common means for engaging and impinging the free end of the strip under the backing member beyond the slot and for guiding and tensioning the paper roll in its movements, said means comprising a pair of arms joined by a transverse connecting bight which engages and impinges the strip under the backing member, the arms having arcuate portions lying alongside of and frictionally engaging the sides of the paper roll and a transverse connecting bight joining the opposite ends of the arms and a roller mounted on said latter bight for turning movement whereby reversal of the arrangement of the arms permits of the training of the paper strip around the roller for the purpose specified.

8. In a writing tablet of the character set forth which includes a backing member having a transverse slot adjacent an end edge thereof through which a strip of writing paper from a roll is trained to dispose a length over the upper surface of the member and the terminal extending through the slot under the member; means for impinging the strip against the under side or' the backing member between the slot and the end edge of the backing member to dispose the free end of the strip at an angle thereto comprising a transverse deformed portion of the backing member and an element resiliently coacting with the strip for forming the same into engagement with the deformed portion.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York this 13th day of April, A. D. 1928. e

JOHNJ. RALPH. 

